California ex-congresswoman would run in a special election to replace Sheng Thao, who was recalledBarbara Lee, the California congresswoman who recently retired after serving nearly three decades in the US House of Representatives, has filed paperwork to run for mayor of Oakland.The 78-year-old represented the San Francisco Bay Area city in Congress from 1998 until this year. She opened a campaign account to run for mayor with the California secretary of state on Monday, and a spokesperson for the veteran lawmaker told media she would make an announcement about her decision this week.The Associated Press contributed to this report Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot, Eleni Courea, Aamna Mohdin and Chri on (#6TD6J)
Shadow justice minister accused of xenophobia and toxifying' Conservative brand with immigration commentsConservative MPs have privately raised concerns about Robert Jenrick's comments on British Pakistanis with the party leader, Kemi Badenoch.Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, has been accused of stoking community divisions to fuel his own leadership ambitions with his remarks about people from alien cultures". Continue reading...
Boy was treated at the scene in Woolwich but died shortly after medics arrived, police sayA 14-year-old boy has been stabbed to death on a bus in Woolwich, south-east London, in the middle of the afternoon.Paramedics treated the teenager at the scene but he died shortly after they arrived, police said. Schools in the area had returned on Monday after the Christmas break. Continue reading...
MP for Clacton declares payments on register of MPs' interests after spending four hours a month working for gold bullion firmAt the end of last week Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary and runner-up in last year's Tory leadership contest, said the child abuse grooming scandal started with mass migration" and importing hundreds of thousands of people from alien cultures, who possess medieval attitudes towards women". In response Samuel Kasumu, a former Tory adviser on race issues, said that comments like that could lead to people being killed, while Kemi Badenoch defended her colleague.In an inteview on the Today programme this morning, asked if Kasumu's comments made him reconsider his views, Jenrick replied:That's complete nonsense. MPs have been killed in this country in recent times by a jihadist and by a neo-Nazi. They were killed because of the views of those individuals, not what anything an MP has said. We have to fight extremism in this country, wherever we find it, and you fight that by standing up to the extremists, you don't fight it by shying away, by turning a blind eye, by looking the other way.I'm not going to tiptoe around this issue. Millions of people in our country are listening to your programme this morning, and they are appalled by what is happening to young girls, and they are shocked that there might be girls in that situation today. We have to stop this.I think some people who come from that country do. I'm not saying everybody.NR: Did Sajid Javid's family [the former Tory chancellor] come with a medieval culture to this county?RJ: I'm saying some people do.Robert Jenrick's attempt to exploit this appalling scandal for his own political gain is completely shameless. He didn't lift a finger to help the victims when a minister, now he's jumping on the bandwagon and acting like a pound shop Farage.Kemi Badenoch should sack him as shadow justice secretary and condemn his divisive comments, instead of letting him run a leadership campaign under her nose. Continue reading...
Nationwide say use of coins and paper money is thriving' with budgeting trends such as cash stuffing' on the riseThe pandemic was supposed to usher in a cashless society, and many businesses have gone card-only - but Britons are finding it hard to let go of notes and coins.Cash is enjoying an unexpected comeback, reflecting the fact that, for many people, physical money remains the ultimate budgeting tool in tricky financial times. Continue reading...
Herbert Kickl's move could pave way for anti-immigration, pro-Kremlin Freedom party to govern countryThe leader of Austria's anti-immigration, pro-Kremlin Freedom party has said he intends to invite the mainstream centre-right party for coalition talks, potentially paving the way for the far right to rule the country for the first time since the second world war.Herbert Kickl, whose party won the most votes in September's election, was tasked with building a ruling coalition by the Austrian president on Monday following the collapse of talks between mainstream parties aimed at forming an alliance that would have blocked the Freedom party (FPO). Continue reading...
Renowned drama school says unprecedented funding challenges' make degrees unviable from September 2025One of the UK's most celebrated drama schools, which counts the Oscar-winners Olivia Colman, Daniel Day-Lewis and Jeremy Irons among its alumni, is to scrap its undergraduate degrees due to a range of financial challenges.Bristol Old Vic theatre school, founded in 1946, said its undergraduate training model was now financially unsustainable". Continue reading...
Polar vortex chilled central US, downing trees, blasting snow, shuttering schools and causing traffic pile-upsThe next round of bitter cold enveloped the southern US on Tuesday, after the first significant winter storm of the year blasted a huge swath of the country with ice, snow and wind as far south as Florida and Texas.The immense storm system brought disruption over the weekend and on Monday to much of the mid-Atlantic region, triggering the announcement of states of emergency in several states. It even hit areas of the country that usually escape winter's wrath, downing trees in some southern states, threatening a freeze in Florida and causing people in Dallas to dip deep into their wardrobes for hats and gloves. Continue reading...
by Miranda Bryant Nordic correspondent and agencies on (#6TCQZ)
President-elect's son says visit is personal day trip' as Danish PM says autonomous territory is not for sale'Donald Trump Jr touched down in Greenland on Tuesday, hours after his father reiterated his interest in taking control of the Arctic autonomous territory, pledging to make Greenland great again".After arriving in the Greenlandic capital in a Trump-branded plane, he told a waiting crowd in the Nuuk airport arrivals hall - some wearing red Make America Great Again caps - that he was very excited to be here". It was, he said, a little colder here than it is in Florida", adding that the US president-elect says hello to everyone in Greenland". Continue reading...
Magistrate remands Kyle Shaw of Birkenhead on bail ahead of appearance in Liverpool crown courtA man has been charged with stalking the Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas.Kyle Shaw, 37, appeared at South Sefton magistrates court, Merseyside, on 3 January, the courts service confirmed. Continue reading...
by Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor on (#6TCV4)
Shadow justice minister backs up previous remarks on immigration by telling BBC not all cultures are equal'The Conservative leader, Kemi Badenoch, should sack Robert Jenrick for divisive comments," the Lib Dems have said, after the shadow justice minister doubled down on his comments about immigrants with alien cultures".Jenrick was challenged repeatedly on Tuesday morning for having failed to act on the outcome of an inquiry into grooming gangs while he was in the Home Office, despite now demanding one, and for rarely mentioning the issue in the House of Commons until this year. Continue reading...
Former paratrooper led National Front party for decades and courted controversy, being repeatedly fined for contesting crimes against humanityJean-Marie Le Pen, founder of France's far-right National Rally party, has died aged 96.The former paratrooper, who led the party from 1972 to 2011 when it was called the National Front, had been in a care facility for several weeks and died at midday on Tuesday surrounded by his loved ones", his family said in a statement. Continue reading...
Bruno Retailleau says threat has never been greater, as country marks decade since Charlie Hebdo attackThe threat of a terrorist attack on France is being fuelled by social media and has never been greater, the country's interior minister has said, 10 years after gunmen killed 12 people in an attack on Charlie Hebdo newspaper.Speaking on the anniversary of the massacre at the paper's offices, Bruno Retailleau said French intelligence had foiled nine planned attacks last year - three targeting the Olympic Games - and the country could be hit tomorrow". Continue reading...
UK party takes post down after viewers point out misogynist Portuguese-language lyricsThe Labour party has apologised for using a soundtrack with completely inappropriate" lyrics in a promotional TikTok video.The video features AI-generated animals including a hare dressed as a nurse, a bulldog in a police uniform and a hedgehog wearing dungarees. Continue reading...
Exclusive: Skinwear firm admits delivery services overstretched amid heavy criticism from customersThe luxury tights and lingerie brand Wolford has apologised after heavy criticism from customers over delays to orders and refunds, admitting its delivery services were overstretched.Shoppers have taken to the reviews site Trustpilot to warn others against making orders, with some saying they had waited for more than a month for their goods to arrive and had been unable to obtain a refund. Continue reading...
Legal claim alleged telecoms group benefited from government support intended for small businessesThe business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, has been asked to refer Vodafone to the Covid corruption commissioner, after a legal claim alleged the 18bn telecoms group benefited from government pandemic support intended for small businesses.The request to examine the conduct of the FTSE 100 company follows last month's high court claim by current and former Vodafone franchisees, which alleged the company unjustly enriched" itself at the expense of scores of vulnerable small business owners who were running the group's high street stores. Continue reading...
by Eleni Courea Political correspondent on (#6TCNM)
Exclusive: Victims of male violence sign letter praising minister for devoting life to fighting for women and girls'A group of victims of gender-based violence has criticised Elon Musk for his remarks attacking Jess Phillips, saying the safeguarding minister had devoted her life to fighting for women and girls".In a letter shared with the Guardian the seven women, including three survivors of the Telford sexual abuse scandal, came to the Labour MP's defence and said that there was no one in public life who has done more to support victims and survivors and to advocate for their interests". Continue reading...
In Liverpool Riverside and Tottenham, two constituencies with black MPs and large black communities, Labour's vote share dropped by more than 20 points at last year's election. The Guardian spoke to voters there to find out what they have made of the party's return to powerIn Toxteth, a fast-gentrifying area of Liverpool that has for decades been the nucleus of the city's 300-year-old black community, Saeed Olayiwola considered how the Labour government compared with the Conservatives. I don't see much that sets them apart at the moment," Olayiwola said.Since Keir Starmer's government took power six months ago, voters in two urban constituencies, both represented by black Labour MPs - Liverpool Riverside and Tottenham in north London - have been weighing up the party's decisions and talking to the Guardian. Continue reading...
Actor and her late partner's family issue joint statement thanking supporters and asking for privacyAubrey Plaza has released a statement after the death of her husband, Jeff Baena, who was found at his Los Angeles home on Friday after taking his own life.This is an unimaginable tragedy," the actor and Baena's family said in a joint statement shared with media on Monday. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has offered support. Please respect our privacy during this time."In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email jo@samaritans.org or jo@samaritans.ie. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counsellor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org Continue reading...
Ministers say predators could face two years in jail, and plan to include creating sexually explicit deepfakes in billPredators who take intimate images of unwitting victims or install cameras to do so could face up to two years' in jail under plans drawn up by Labour.Ministers have also confirmed that they plan to create a new offence for those who create sexually explicit deepfake images.Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film without consent.Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film without consent and with intent to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation.Taking or recording an intimate photograph or film without consent or reasonable belief in it, and for the purpose of the sexual gratification of oneself or another. Continue reading...
Authorities now have access to cockpit dialogue from Azerbaijan Airlines plane that went down on Christmas DayBrazil's air force has extracted the data from two black box recorders belonging to a crashed Azerbaijan Airlines plane that Baku claims was downed by Russia on Christmas Day, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.The Brazilian-made Embraer 190 crash-landed in Kazakhstan after being diverted from a scheduled landing in the Chechen capital, Grozny, in southern Russia. Azerbaijan believes the plane was shot down by Russian air defences, which Moscow says were operational in the area at the time. Continue reading...
The outgoing vice-president presided over a January 6 without rancour as she formally certified the vote she lostShe had warned America that he is a fascist and now, in front of political colleagues, TV viewers and the watching world, she was the one who would have to officially put him back in power.Few would envy Kamala Harris, the outgoing US vice-president, having to maintain a cool, zen-like exterior on Monday as she formally announced Donald Trump's victory - and her own defeat - in the 2024 presidential election. Continue reading...
LGBTQ+ veterans who faced discrimination under policy can update paperwork to remove mention of their sexualityThe Department of Defense reached a historic settlement with more than 30,000 LGBTQ+ veterans who were discharged under the controversial don't ask, don't tell" (DADT) policy, which allowed LGBTQ+ members to serve only if they concealed their sexuality.As a part of the settlement, those discharged under DADT or similarly discriminatory policies will be able to easily update their paperwork to remove mention of their sexuality. Previously, veterans who wanted to update their discharge papers had to undergo a complicated, years-long legal process that most veterans just didn't want to put themselves through", said Jocelyn Larkin, one of the lawyers who represented the class-action group. Continue reading...
Most deprived areas suffer ten-fold bigger reduction, which in turn exacerbates deprivationPeople living in deprived areas of England have suffered disproportionately larger cuts to bus services, according research by a leading thinktank.The analysis by IPPR North found that cuts to services in England had been felt the most in left-behind neighbourhoods". Continue reading...
by Pippa Crerar, Rajeev Syal and Aletha Adu on (#6TBWA)
PM also criticises politicians jumping on the bandwagon' amid row over action on child sexual exploitationKeir Starmer has condemned Elon Musk's increasingly erratic attacks on the government, suggesting that his lies and misinformation" on grooming gangs was amplifying the poison" of the far right.The prime minister angrily criticised Tory politicians for jumping on the bandwagon" by calling for a national inquiry into the scandal when they failed to implement any of the recommendations of a major report while in power. He accused them of being more interested in themselves than supporting victims. Continue reading...
Home secretary tells MPs that three recommendations by independent inquiry into child sexual abuse are being acted on by the governmentStarmer is now summarising some of the measures in the elective reform plan.Here is the summary from the news release.Further measures include:Using the NHS app to give patients greater choice and control over their treatment. This includes making sure patients can get better access to information via the app, such as the details of their appointments, results and waiting times, and use it to book appointments in the location of their choice, with information about waiting times and patient satisfaction.It's about a shift in the balance of power away from passive deference to doctors and towards patients being able to get that second opinion, play a greater role in deciding their care and their treatment.The early results of Martha's rule are in, lives of some of the sickest patients in our care transformed, extended and saved and so it's a rule that's now being recognised as potentially groundbreaking in its innovation. Continue reading...
Home secretary announces plans to implement key demand from Jay inquiry in EnglandProfessionals who work with children will face criminal sanctions if they fail to report claims of child sexual abuse under a law to be introduced this year, Yvette Cooper has told MPs.The home secretary has promised to implement a key demand from Prof Alexis Jay's child sexual abuse inquiry after Keir Starmer turned down demands from Elon Musk and Kemi Badenoch for a new investigation into paedophile gangs.Introduce a victims and survivors panel to oversee reforms.Make grooming an aggravating factor in child sexual offences.Establish a core dataset for child abuse and protection. Continue reading...
Sir Ben Elliot's Quintessentially says there is material uncertainty' over ability to operate beyond the next yearQuintessentially, the luxury concierge service for the super-wealthy co-founded by Queen Camilla's nephew Sir Ben Elliot, has reported a 2.1m loss despite cutting jobs and buying extra time to repay 15m worth of loans.The firm, which Elliot, a former co-chair of the Conservative party, founded in 2000, said there was still material uncertainty" about the company's ability to operate beyond the next year if sales slumped or it failed to get fresh funding. It came as the company reported a 2.1m loss for the year to April 2024. Continue reading...
David Ludford pays emotional tribute, while UK show's host RuPaul says the performer was a lovely human being'The ex-husband of the drag artist known as The Vivienne has said my heart is shattered" after the death of the RuPaul's Drag Race star, as the hit TV show's host paid tribute to a lovely human being".James Lee Williams, known professionally as The Vivienne and who won the 2019 first series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, died at the weekend aged 32. Continue reading...
Ken Martin and Ben Wikler from the midwest are favorites as party aims to recapture Congress and White HouseAs Republicans prepare to seize the reins of power in Washington, a low-profile race to head the Democrats' national governing body is being flagged up as the first milestone on the party's agonising road to electoral recovery.Two middle-aged men from the northern midwest have been tipped as frontrunners to succeed the outgoing Jaime Harrison as chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), a post from which the groundwork for the recapture of Congress and the White House is expected to be undertaken. Continue reading...
Washington Post report said aides were aiming to target only critical imports but president-elect calls it fake news'President-elect Donald Trump on Monday denied a newspaper report that said his aides were exploring tariff plans that would only cover critical imports.The story in the Washington Post, quoting so-called anonymous sources, which don't exist, incorrectly states that my tariff policy will be pared back. That is wrong. The Washington Post knows it's wrong. It's just another example of Fake News," he wrote in a post on Truth Social. Continue reading...
Scottish Labour leader sets out plan to revive party's flagging fortunes before Holyrood electionsAnas Sarwar has accused the Scottish government of weakening every institution in Scotland" as he set out plans to revive Labour's flagging fortunes before the Holyrood elections.The Scottish Labour leader said he would spend much of 2025 reminding the Scottish National party time and time again of their failures", while setting out what his party would do differently if it wins power in May next year. Continue reading...
Denise Coates paid herself 150m in salary and dividends last year - far below the 466m she collected in 2020Britain's highest-paid woman, the Bet365 billionaire Denise Coates, has given herself a 45% pay cut, receiving 150m in salary and dividends last year despite soaring profits at the online gambling company.The Stoke-based business reported an increase in turnover from 3.4bn to 3.7bn last year, while also cutting costs and benefiting from a one-off gain on the value of its investments. Continue reading...
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